News

March Special Offer
15% OFF on a Selection of Accessories (until March 31st, 5 pm JPT)
15% OFF on a Selection of Accessories

Winter is almost over, the colors of the japanese spring are slowly blooming, great days are coming back. The only stain in the painting is that the situation due to COVID is still not at its best point, but we can perceive a small improvement, although it is not enough to get our activity back on track.

In the upcoming months, a lot of things are going to change as you will see in the report below. In march, we’ve decided to offer 15% on a Selection of Accessories until March 31st. If you were waiting hard to get a Sauna Suit or another accessory to be more comfortable during your training, it is now the best time to jump on the occasion!

February report

We took benefit of the situation brought by COVID 19 to advance on some of our projects. One of those big projects being the merge of both KuSakuraShop website, international and France.

Along with this merge, we will bring a lot of improvements to the customer experience in the objective to always make your shopping experience easier and more enjoyable. These improvements are the subject of a pretty big news we recently published, you can check it out here.

Highlights of the improvements:
- The merge of our two shops KuSakura International & France
- Shipping fees are no longer free for all orders
- We’re removing the minimum order amount
- New shipping fee calculator and Custom Invoice Declaration Selector
- Customers can now choose the currency they would like to pay in
- Customers can now order from Japan
All the improvements and changes mentioned above will take place from March 9th.

We highly recommend that you have a look in detail at all the customer experience improvements we have made so that you can now be aware of how your order will be handled and so on.

Take care of yourself and your surroundings.

See you soon, on KuSakuraShop.
Merge KuSakura International x France
KuSakuraShop France and International are merging & important upgrade of the KuSakuraShop experience!

Merge KuSakura International x France & Customer Experience Improvement

As we were teasing it for 2 months now, it is now time to reveal the big project we were talking about in our newsletters. This is going to be quite a long news. This is why we separated it in different main parts, so that you can have an overview of this very important update of the shop.

※The merge of our two shops KuSakura International & France※

The biggest change to announce is the merge of our two websites, KuSakuraShop International and KuSakuraShop France. Indeed, the latter will be shut down on Tuesday, March 9th, and merged with the international version of the shop on which you are reading this news.

With this merge and in order to make our customer’s life easier, our new localization system will automatically select the region you are accessing the website from. It will also be possible to access the french version of the website by clicking on the small flag on the top-left corner of the main menu.

※Shipping fees are no longer free for all orders※

Several changes have been made on different parts of our website and of our activity. Therefore, we are no longer able to guarantee our “Free Shipping” policy except for orders superior to $250 USD.

Nevertheless, the abandonment of this policy is going to be followed with a significant drop in the prices of our products and most of our customers will now have the possibility to choose their favorite carrier as explained below.

※We’re removing the minimum order amount ※

The minimum amount of orders on KuSakuraShop was previously set to 40 USD. Given the diverse changes explained above, we took the decision to allow our customers to check out with orders which total amount are less than 40 USD, and let them decide which transporter would better fit their needs as it has been asked by some of our customers, more comfortable with one specific carrier than another one.

※New shipping fee calculator and Custom Invoice Declaration Selector※

As we were explaining it above, if customers are more comfortable with DHL than FedEx for instance, it is no longer needed to contact us so that we make sure we pick the carrier you wish. Customers will be able to directly choose the carrier they wish directly from the cart. This change goes along with the new shipping fee calculator we implemented that will automatically calculate the shipping costs for your order according to the carrier you have selected.

The design of the cart has been reworked for ergonomic and pragmatic purposes. We implemented a Custom Invoice Declaration selector through which you will be able to indicate to us the amount you would like to be declared for your order for the customs. The way to use is pretty straightforward, it is just a simple cursor that you can slide over from 10% of the order amount, considered as really risky to 100% of the order amount, considered as the safest declaration option, but also the priciest in customs taxes.

Disclaimer: Please note that we do not endorse under-declared custom invoices but we understand the difficulties our customers may run into when dealing with international imports. Furthermore, as we are concerned in giving maximum freedom to our customers, we offer it on our website.

※Customers can now choose the currency they would like to pay in※

We are offering a tool on the top-right corner of your screen that allows you to switch the currency so that you can check the prices of the product in a currency you are used to. However, this currency switch was only for indication purposes and the final order was billed in US Dollars (Euro on KuSakuraShop.fr).

When the new version of the website will be launched, customers will be able to pay in the currency they duly choose through the aforementioned tool. This will avoid some issues some of our customers had with their banks charging them a significant additional conversion fee of money or denying their payments by cards because of the difference of currency.

We set a 1% currency exchange rate, which, thanks to our selling volume, should be cheaper than regular bank exchange fees

※Customers can now order from Japan※

Our fellow living in Japan will also be able to get their order delivered in Japan, at a precise date if needed. This was not possible on the previous version of the website and was forcing us to tell our customers living in Japan, to contact us so that we could place their order on our domestic system.

This process was actually quite bothersome, unintuitive and mistakes were more likely to happen given the time needed to handle such orders.

Now just as any other destination available on KuSakuraShop, customers are able to order directly from the website.

※To sum up※

All in all, this new version of KuSakuraShop is also a renewal of the customer experience we would like to offer. We’ve thought everything to be easier to use, understand and more intuitive while keeping your favorite products and the core mission statement of our brand intact. Some of these changes are here to avoid some headache for our customers and some issues that can be encountered when dealing with international import.

We hope that you will be satisfied with this enhanced customer experience the KuSakuraShop team is offering you through all these changes. Next up will be our discount for March. If you are interested in one of the products currently discounted, you only have a few days left!

Stay safe and take care of your surroundings!

See you soon on KuSakuraShop
February Special Discount
15% OFF on All Time Best Sellers (until March 1st, 12 pm JPT)

15% OFF on All Time Best Sellers

During winter, we have the chance to get a clear blue sky in Japan. January is already over and we are attacking the second month of 2021.

The situation in Japan is actually not getting any better. Most of our staff in Tokyo and our craftsmen in our workshop in Osaka are still on partial unemployment schemes due to the difficulties caused by the new Coronavirus. Furthermore, the japanese government is currently considering an extension of the State of Emergency initially declared on January 8th, making the situation here increasingly more complicated for everyone.

In any case, a new month means a new discount on KuSakuraShop and this month our staff decided to offer you 15% OFF on All Time Best Sellers! Competitors or just casual practitioners, you definitely want to have a look at our selection this month, to see if there is something you may be interested in.

Please note that this discount will be live until March 1st.

All in all, we are trying to do the best we can to advance on our different projects while following the policies implemented by the government against the Covid 19. It is quite hard but as usual, we are still motivated to provide our customers with the best made in Japan equipment.

Enjoy our discount and see you very soon on KuSakuraShop!
State of emergency declared for Tokyo area
Change of working hour to 10am ~ 4.30pm. Suspension of all customer visits to our office. At least until February 7th. No changes in our shipping capacities, we deliver as usual!

State of emergency declared for Tokyo area

January 7th (Thu), the prime minister of Japan has declared a second state of emergency for the Tokyo area. The measures cover Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama and Kanagawa, 4 prefectures that account for almost half of Japan's population, and for half of the covid contamination in Japan.

As you know, if you read our articles in March 2020, the state of emergency in Japan is merely a matter of recommendations, as there is no legal disposition that would allow the Japanese government to force its citizens to follow them. The recommendations are, for now, as follows (additional measures are expected in the next weeks):

- Restaurants, bars and other recreative facilities must close between 7 and 8 pm.
- Office work must go remote by 70% wherever possible.
- Limitations in public events attendance.
- The general population is requested to stay home as much as possible.

This second state of emergency is quite different from the first. The country is now well prepared, masks and disinfection equipment are widely available, and many companies have put in place the necessary measures to facilitate remote work.

At Seido, we are taking the following measures:
- We are now entirely closed to visits (we were accepting visitors on a one per one basis).
- Our opening hours are temporarily set to 10am~4.30pm.
- Shifts have been reduced to allow our staff to avoid crowded public transportation (although trains to our location are most of the time half-empty, and expected to even further empty during the state of emergency).

Remote work is not a simple measure to put in place at Seido, as our work is mainly to manufacture products and customization and pack orders to ship, we have decided not to establish remote work for the time being. This may be revised without prior notice, and if so, this article will be updated accordingly.

Shipping & Delivery

We still ship orders normally, as we have been doing for the past year.

Rest assured that there is no change in our capacity to ship and deliver your orders. Shipping conditions with all carriers remain the same, and if Japan Post shipments are still suspended in many countries (and notably Australia and the US), we can still deliver almost all countries in the world with FedEx, DHL and UPS, as we have been doing for the past months.
Additional "covid" fees charged by all carriers are still entirely supported by Seido and will not be charged at checkout. A flat 800 JPY (8 USD / 7 EUR) is charged at checkout for small orders (under 1 kg) with for destination a country that Japan Post cannot serve.

Thank you very much for your continued support and understanding!
Please stay safe and take care.
2021 New Year Discount
10% OFF on all Shinai & Kendo Accessories (until February 2nd, 5 pm JPT)
10% OFF on all Shinai & Kendo Accessories

First of all, on behalf of all the KuSakuraShop team, Happy New Year to all our customers and may this year be a little bit better than the previous one whether it is on the mats or in life in general.

The covid-19 outbreak led us to tough situations and decisions and unfortunately, it is not behind us as we cannot yet see the end of the tunnel. But together we can make it and hopefully, better days are coming very soon!

Because we made great discounts for our Judoka customers since the last Black Friday, we wanted to make a special offer for our fellow Kendoka for the start of 2021. This month, you can enjoy a 10% discount on all Shinai and Kendo accessories! Whether you need a classic Shinai, a made in Japan Madake or a suburi Shinai to work on muscular development and technique, it is the perfect offer to start the year with a brand new weapon!

Please note that this offer will be live only until February 2nd, 5pm (Japan Time).

Please note that we will be closed on Jan 28th (Thu) and 29th (Fri) for our annual inventory (taken into account in the shipping date announced on the website).

December Report
- We handled a special discount on a Christmas selection that was actually well received, especially during the first part of the month, when Christmas gift lists were not done yet. This special offer can be seen as an expansion of our BFCM offer which aim was to help our craftsmen whose situation was and still is to a certain extent, more than dramatic. However, thanks to these discounts, we have been able to see the unyielding support of the KuSakura community and for this, we would like to send a big thank you to all those who ordered to support us!
- Although the situation is quite complicated here due to the Covid, we took some time to advance on one of our side projects that will be online very soon. 2020 was tough and although we are not out of trouble yet in regard of Covid-19, we wish 2021 to be as wonderful as it can be.
Several projects are on the pipelines and naturally, everything took a hit with the outbreak and all the measures we had to take to stay afloat. Fortunately, one of our biggest projects on the go might be out only at the beginning of 2021 but we are really taking our time to deliver the best service possible as usual.

Once again, Happy New Year, may you and your surrounding stay healthy, this is the most important those days.

See you soon on KuSakuraShop.
2020~2021 New Year's Holidays
KuSakuraShop will be closed from December 30th and will resume operations on January 6th. There will be no order processing during this time but we'll keep answering your emails from home!

As you may know from our 2020 BCFM campaign, the COVID-19 outbreak and its repercussion on businesses has led us and our craftsmen to a pretty difficult situation.
Everyone needs rest especially in this end of the year, when it is supposed to be a celebration and happy moment we all spend with our family or our friends.

KuSakuraShop will be closed from December 30th to January 5th. We will back on track on January 6th (Tue).
Customer support will be kept at a minimum pace, so if you have some questions that can wait, we would recommend wait for all activities to resume.

Please note that all our manufacturing workshops and partners will also close at approximately the same dates.
All orders containing a product (made to order, out of stock products etc.) for which the production time includes this holiday period will be delayed by approximately 10 days. (All is taken into account on the estimated shipping date provided automatically at checkout.)

2020 has been harsh for everyone and we would like to send our biggest thanks to all those who ordered to support our craftsmen in the last 2 months.

All the KuSakuraShop team wish you a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, and sweet and wonderful holidays to everyone!

We are looking forward to serving you again in 2021!
X-mas 2020 special offer
15% OFF on our X-mas special selection (until Dec 25th, 5 pm JPT)
X-mas KuSakura 2020

15% OFF on our X-mas special selection

First we would like to send a heartwarming thank you to all those who ordered during our “Backing For Craftsmen” Black Friday/Cyber Monday campaign. Every order placed during this period is a great support as it will allow us to keep our activity and our craftsmen afloat for a little longer in this difficult period. For December, we will try to keep this effort on to help as much as possible our craftsmen.

Indeed, Christmas is at the front door and even though it is now too late for made-to-order products to arrive on time, we’ve made a special selection of products that may arrive for the big day if ordered at the right time (indicated by the estimated shipping date provided in the order confirmation email).

In December, it is 15% OFF on our X-mas special selection that we offer. In this selection, you can find an extension of our BFCM offer, with some belts still discounted for christmas, some Judogi, but also other martial art pieces of equipment. Please note that this discount will be running until December 25th at 5pm (Japan Time).

November Report
- Last month we tried to find the best solution to cope with the situation our craftsmen are facing. As you know now from our BFCM special offer, the production undergoes an unprecedented slowdown and most of our craftsmen are on a technical unemployment scheme. After our Backing For CraftsMen campaign, the future is still uncertain but some of you showed their support during the BFCM 2020 and on behalf of all our craftsmen we would thank once again all those who placed an order and those who will in December. We will try to keep up the effort until the situation gets better.
Finally, if you are too late and you wanted to order a made to order product, or if you actually do not know the size/the preferences of the person you would to offer the gift, we have your back with <a href = “https://www.kusakurashop.com/products/gift-card”>KuSakura's Gift Card</a>. With this gift card, your loved one will be able to order up until $500 USD worth of Judo equipment, the size, the color or the pieces he wants. The perfect gift if you know any passionate Judoka but would like not to take any risk purchasing something that wouldn’t fit.

That’s all for this month, we hope that you will be able to spoil your surroundings with our discount or with our Gift Card, we all need it after this rather eventful year.

We hope to see you very soon on KuSakuraShop.com.
BFCM 2020: Backing For Craftsmen campaign
20% OFF on ALL Judogi and Belts (until Dec 1st, 4 pm JPT)

We Love Judo, we Love our Craftsman!

20% OFF on All Judogi & Belts

This year has been special, tough and tiring mentally for everyone, everywhere in the world.

As you know, the textile and the martial art industry are far from being spared and the situation is actually very close to catastrophic here. Although we manage to survive here in Tokyo, KuSakura’s workshops in Osaka are almost totally stopped and a partial unemployment scheme has been implemented for most of the employees. Fun fact (not really though), it is most probably the first time in KuSakura’s history that almost all the weaving machines are stopped, the overall production currently being carried out on a per order basis.

Most Dojos are still closed in Japan, as they are in most of the world, and it seems that they won’t reopen before months.

Here in Tokyo and in our workshop in Osaka we are holding on, trying to do our best to keep providing the world with the best Judo equipment on the market. But as things are now, we cannot foresee a forthcoming end to this situation and things will not be back to normal anytime soon, which leaves our craftsman in a rather blurry future. If we don’t react as soon as possible, it is a whole industry that is at risk and the worst could, unfortunately, happen rapidly.

This is for these reasons that here in Tokyo, we decided to try something for our industry, and that we came to the point to ask our community for solidarity. This year, we would like to run a special campaign to support our craftsmen and the work they provided for years. We will do so by offering an exceptional 20% OFF on all our Judogi and Belts for this year's BFCM offer. Please note that this special offer will only be running until December 1st.

Along with this special discount, we will also publish one post per day on our Facebook page. These posts will have the objective to give you further information about our craftsmen, their work and how they proceed to make all the Judogi you can order on our website. So if you are not following us yet on Facebook, it is the perfect opportunity!

All in all, it is certainly not in KuSakuraShop Brand’s Ethic to offer monstrous discounts during the BFCM that encourage the mass consumption and support a system we do not agree with. But considering the rather difficult situation our workshops are facing, we would rather try something to support and bring some sustainability to our industry and if it can make our customers happy by giving them the opportunity to put a brand new Judogi under the Christmas tree, it is a success for us.

For our customers, it is now the best time of the year to gear up looking forward to the general reopening of the Dojo and competitions. We are enthusiastic about this opportunity that we give to our community to make a good action that will support our craftsmen and, in a way, thank them for their incredible work in always making outstanding products. The KuSakura community has always been present in difficult times for us and we are certain that it will not stop.

Take care of yourself, of your surroundings and enjoy this incredible discount!

See you very soon on KuSakuraShop!
Get delivered before '20 Xmas
Very last chance to be delivered before Christmas: December 17th. Check the visual calendar, or read more details here.
Christmas is almost here and maybe some of you are already making their gift list before the big day comes. Even though KuSakuraShop provides the fastest service, we cannot perform miracles, and we thought that some of you may need the deadlines for orders to be delivered before December 25th.
- Made to Order items (embroidered belts, custom Judogi sizes): Order before November 23rd and you will be delivered before Christmas.
- In stock products (belts, bags) shipped via FedEx DHL or UPS: last chance to get items with embroideries/engravings delivered before Christmas is December 17th.
- Because of the covid situation significant delays are to be expected with national postal services, so we do not guarantee delivery before Christmas for the standard shipping method (small package/Epacket).
We usually deliver in 4 days in Europe and North America. Our entire team will be focused on preparing your orders, and all orders for in-stock items placed the 17th will ship the 18th.

We'll be open until December 29th, then closed from 30th to January 5th, for our winter holidays. And of course, email support will be slower but maintained the whole time.

Finally, please understand that our carriers don't employ magical reindeer, and Santa Claus isn't working at the customs. Hence, on-time order delivery cannot be guaranteed 100% so please don't wait until the last minute to order!
November Special Offer
10% OFF All Kendogi, Iaidogi & Hakama! (until November 26th, 4 pm JPT)

10% OFF All Kendogi, Iaidogi & Hakama!

While we are all still undergoing difficult times, fall is dressing trees with their colored leaf coat, allowing us a little break when admiring the beautiful landscape of this very particular season during this very particular year.

Recently, with what is happening around the world, it is difficult for us to forecast and anticipate the future. The second COVID-19 wave that is currently striking Europe, America still on the struggle and Asia on the other hand, that seems to be rather spared, although we can note a rising of the cases in Japan.

Consequence of this situation, more and more people are transitioning to martial arts using weapons, more appropriate in terms of hygiene in such a context. This is why this month, we decided to hold a 10% discount on all Kendogi, Iaidogi & Hakama, so that you can get brand new equipment optimised for this transition.

Please note that this discount will only run until November 26.

On an ending note we would like to thank the all Judo community. A lot of international e-commerce website are currently struggling with handling the current crisis, and KuSakuraShop is no exception. Without your unyielding support and your orders, we wouldn’t be where we are today and this is thanks to you if we can keep offering Made in Japan Budo equipment to the world.

For the forthcoming Black Friday / Cyber Monday, we are preparing something very special as usual during this period of the year.

Stay tuned on our social media and our actuality and see you soon on KuSakuraShop.